Closure operating device



'Dec. 22, 1936. M. c. BERsrED CLOSURE OPERATING DEVICE 2 Sheeis-Sheet 1Filed Feb. 25, 1955 Mal-1271 n. C Er'ersied INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Dec. 22, 1936. M. c. BERSTED CLOSURE OPERATING DEVICE Filed Feb. 25,1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Mari-in. C Bar's ied .IN V EN TOR.

ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 22, 1936 UNITED STATES cries CLOSURE OPERATINGDEVICE Application February 25, 1935, Serial No. 8,105

12 Claims.

This invention relates to a spring controlled door hinge constructionwhereby a swinging door is yieldingly maintained either in openpositions or in a closed position.

An object of the invention is to provide improved means for positioningthe door per se with relation to its mounting means, thereby causing thedoor when closed to be more accurately positioned in the door opening,and also determining more precisely the points at which the door willcome to a stop when it is swung in either direction to an open position.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means to gaugethe relative positions of an upper and a lower door hinge device inorder that the mounted door will be held in a truly vertical positionowing to the proper cooperation of said devices.

Still other objects and advantages reside in the compactness, simplicityand low cost of manufacture of the claimed structures for swinginglysupporting a door or other swingable closure element.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention may hereinafterappear.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate what is atpresent deemed to be preferred embodiments of the invention,

Fig. l is a perspective view of the complete device, surface portionsbeing broken away to disclose underlying structure, and portions of thedoor and of the casing being broken away to contract the view.

Fig. 2 is a perspective detail illustrating the overhead mounting meansin an exploded relation.

Fig. 3 is a vertical mid-section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the cover removed and showing certainparts sectioned on line 4-4 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 5 is a fragmental side elevation of the assembled spring-controlledstructure upon which the door rests.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the structures shown in the right handportion of Fig. 4, taken on line 5-5 of the latter view.

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of the lower bearing member within whichcertain spring-controlled parts operate.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the structure shown in Fig.6.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the cam block.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the door l I,

,- which swings adjustably in both directions, is

shown in Fig. 1 in an assembled relation to its lintel l2 and casingmember IS. The threshold is omitted, but the base plate M of the controlmeans is shown in the position it occupies when attached to a thresholdor floor in its operative position.

Said base plate 14 is preferably rectangular, and it has a depressedfoot portion I5 extending along three sides thereof thus elevating itsbody portion suificiently to provide under it a clearance to receive awasher l6 and the peened over lower end of the tubular pivot pin l'i'.Upon the upper face of said base plate is superimposed the circularbearing plate 18 which has an upstanding peripheral flange 19. Saidplate 18 is immovably clamped down against the plate M by means of thepivot pin ll which extends therethrough, owing to the fact that said pinis furnished with an external annular bead or shoulder 2%? whichforcibly engages the upper surface of plate it when the lower end of pinI1 is peened over as shown.

Over the upstanding circular flange IQ of the fixed bearing plate is isturnably fitted the upper bearing plate or cap plate 2!. Diametricallyopposite portions of the flange of said cap plate are cut away thusproviding room for the foot portion 22 of the L-shaped strap iron doorsupporting plate 23. This part 22 is apertured at 24 to engage turnablywith the pivot member H.

The cap plate 2! is furnished with a central circular rise 25 whichcooperates with the top portion of the hollow pin I! to form a racewayfor the ball bearing members 26, this part of the bearing structurebeing completed by means of the headed central pivot pin 21, the upperend of which extends loosely thru the cap plate 2| and the lower end ofwhich is peened over at 28.

Near the right side of the bearing structure as viewed in Fig. 6 thefoot portion 22 of the door supporting member is furnished with acircular hole to receive the neck portion 30 of a downwardly extendingstud 3!. The top portion 30 of said neck is firmly peened down at 32thereby holding said stud in a fixed relation to the part 22 of which itforms a part.

Farther to the right as seen in Fig. 6 the part 22 is preferably downbent at 35 where it emerges from the recess provided for it in theadjacent part of the cap plate 2|.

Returning to the base plate I 4, said plate has at its inner edge anupstanding flange 3'! provided at its base with a horizontal slot 38slidably receiving the follower plate 39. Supported by said flange 31,and projecting from the inner face thereof is a horizontal guide rod 40,and the follower plate 39 has an upstanding end portion or arm 4%!furnished with a bearing opening which surrounds said rod 40 with aworking fit. The door casing is bored out to receive the rod ll) and toprovide a considerable clearance therearound. To the end of said rod issecured a nut 42 which forms an abutment for one end of an operatingspring 43 coiled loosely around said rod, the other end of said springacting against the arm M of the slide 39.

The flange i9 and also a portion of the body of bearing plate l8 are cutaway at We and I80 to provide a clearance for the free operation ofslide 39. A guide slot His is shown in base plate 14 within whichtravels with a working fit a depressed tongue 42 struck downwardly fromthe slide 39.

A cam member, shown as a block 45 is furnished with a symmetricallylocated bearing aperture 35a (see Fig. 9) whereby it is mounted upon thebearing pin H with a working fit. Said block has a main central cam face36. At one side of said cam face is a cam projection 41 and at the otherside thereof a like cam projection 48, there being a guiding surface 451at each side of the main cam face 46 which directs the movement of thecam operating element 39 as it passes from the main cam face 66 to saidcam projections.

. the end thereof which is adjacent to the cam block.

Describing more in detail the cooperation of the cam operating element43 with the cam block i5, when said block is in engagement with the maincam face 56 which maintains the door I l in the closed position, andwhen said cam operating element rides over cam projection 48 to theextent indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4 it holds the door open at oneside of the door opening. When said cam operating element rides over thecam projection 47 to the same extent it will hold the door open at theopposite side of the door opening. In this position the cam operatingelement 39 will engage both the cam projection 48 and the side portionof the arm 52 at that side of the block thus holding the door in adefinite open position. In the assembled relation of the parts, the stud3! is received, with considerable clearance, within a notch or recess 5|cut into the edge thereof opposite to its central cam face 45. Or, saidcam block may be regarded as yoke-shaped having arms 52 which passastride the stud 3i. Each of said arms has a screw hole extendingtherethrough which opens into the recess 5!. Adjusting screws 53 and 54are screwed into these holes the inner ends of said screws beingengageable with opposite sides of the stud 3|; By this construction,owing to thefact that the recess 5! is considerably wider than the stud3! which it receives, by screwing in and out the screws 53 and 5 1 anadjustment may be effected whereby the door H, in its closed position(due to the spring-pressed engagement of the flange 49 of slide 39 withcam face 46) may be properly centered;

The auxiliary cam faces 41 and 48 will be formed in the proper angularrelation to the central'cam face 46 in order that when the slide flange59 engages said auxiliary faces the door The lateral projections 41 and48 of the symmentrical, polygonal, plate-like cam block 45 exert aretarding action upon the door as it swings from either wide openposition toward the closed position. When the invention is applied to adoor which is furnished with a spring tending to close it withconsiderable force, this retarding feature is a valuable asset as itprevents a slamming or pounding action of the door against personspassing through the doorway.

The flange E9 of the bearing plate l8 has recesses H39: in its edgeportion, and these recesses can be brought into register with likerecesses 24a: in the peripheral flange of the cap plate 2i, thusaffording admission openings for the tool whereby the screws 53 and 54are adjusted.

The pivot pin il forms the lower hinge of the door. At the upper side ofthe door a combined hinge plate and gage plate 68 is provided, saidplate having a downwardly directed hinge pin 61 and with screw holes 62.With said hinge plate 6!! cooperates a T-shaped socket member 63 havinga socket portion t l to receive said pin and a wing at each side havinga screw hole 65 to receive screws directed downwardly into the upperedge of the door. The door H is recessed as indicated in Fig. 3 toreceive the socket mem ber 64.

As viewed in Fig. 2, the center of the upper hinge pin 6! is located thesame distance from the inner (left) end of the gage strip as the centerof the lower hinge pin I! is spaced away from the back side of theupstanding flange 37 which lies adjacent the casing. This arrangementprovides for mounting the door quickly in a truly vertical position,which is insured by abutting the left end of the gage strip 39 againstthe upper part of the door casing while the base plate f4 is attached tothe threshold with its upstanding flange 37 lying adjacent to the lowerportion of the door casing.

With regard to lubrication, the socket 54 of the upper hinge elementforms an oil pocket.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and thatvarious changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, or thescope of what is claimed.

Having in this case described my invention, I claim:

1. In a device of the kind described, a cam member, mounted in a nearlyfixed relation to a door to swing therewith, screw threaded adjustablemeans acting between said door and cam member to regulate their preciserelative positions with respect to the swing of the door, upper andlower relatively turnable plates having peripheral flanges directedtowards each other thereby forming a housing for said cam member, saidflanges having recesses registrable with each other to provide openingsfor the admission of a tool to regulate said screw threaded means, andspring-impelled means co-acting with said cam member to yieldinglymaintain said door in different parts of the path along which it swings.

2. In a construction of the kind described, a device attachable to athreshold and to a corner portion of a door to form a hinge element forsaid door, said device including an adjustable cam block having aplurality of straight faced cam 75- elements, and spring-pressed meansengageable with the straight faces of said cam elements and arranged toyieldingly maintain a door in open, closed and partly open positions.

3. A cam device comprising a base plate attachable to a floor ortheshold, a bearing plate superimposed upon said base plate, anupstanding pivot extending through said plates, said pivot having anannular shoulder extending therearound and a peened over lower end thusclamping said plates together, a cam block pivotally mounted upon saidpivot in engagement with said bearing plate, means operativelyconnecting said cam block with a door to swing therewith, and aspring-pressed follower operatively related to said cam block.

4. In a construction of the kind described, the combination, with adoor; of a door positioning and retarding device attachable to said doorand to a threshold thereby forming a hinge element for said door, saiddevice including a cam block having a cam face and a cam projection inspaced relation to said face, there being a guiding surface on saidblock at each side of said cam face, and a spring actuated followerwhich is operatively related to said face, surface and projection, saidfollower when in engagement with said face holding the door closed, whenengagement with said surface holding the door partly open, and when itrides over said surface and projection holding the door completely open.

5. In a construction of the kind described, the combination, with adoor; of a door positioning and retarding device attachable to said doorand to a threshold thereby forming a hinge element for said door, saiddevice including a cam member having a plurality of cam elements and aspring actuated follower which is operatively related to said cam memberand elements whereby said door is maintained immovable in a plurality ofdifferent positions in the path in which it is swingable and is therebyretarded in its swing from fully opened position to fully closedposition, said follower having a strap metal portion which has a tonguestruck out from one face thereof, said door positioning device having aguide slot which receives said tongue with a working fit.

6. In a construction of the kind described, a positioning and retardingdevice attachable to a door, said device including a cam member andelements whereby said door is maintained immovable in a plurality ofdifferent positions in the path in which it is swingable and is therebyretarded in its swing from fully opened position to fully closedposition and a spring actuated follower which is operatively related tosaid cam member, said device including also a housing furnished with apivotal support for said cam member, and an elongated member whichextends radially away from said pivotal support and forms a guide forsaid follower.

7. A cam device comprising a stationary base plate, a. pivot secured toand upstanding from said base plate, a polygonal figured cam blockturnably mounted upon said pivot, means to turn said cam blockoperatively related thereto in a radially spaced relation to its pivot,a guide rod extending radially away from said pivot and supported bysaid base plate in a fixed relation thereto, a follower having a flangeoperatively related to the polygonal sides of said cam block and guidedin its movements by said rod, said follower having a tongue struck outfrom one face thereof and guided in its movement by said base plate, anda spring loosely coiled about said rod and positioned to oppose theaction of said cam block upon the flange of said follower, all parts ofsaid spring encircling said rod.

8. In a device of the kind described, a multiple faced cam element, aspring pressed follower, and mounting means for said cam element andfollower whereby said follower is maintained in a swingable operativerelation to said cam element to be thereby yieldingly arrested at fivepoints of its swing, to hold a door in oppositely open, closed andopposite partly open positions.

9. The subject matter of claim 8 and said follower having a straightcam-engaging face, and said cam block having portions positioned forengagement with said follower face to maintain a door in opposite wideopen positions, a central flat face engageable with said follower faceto hold a door closed, and a flat face at each side to hold a doorpartly open at each side of its closed position and to retard its swingthrough partly open positions.

10. In a device of the kind described, a platelike cam block ofasymmetrical polygonal shape, the cam elements thereof occupying itsedge portions, said block having a main fiat cam face and a pivotaperture located adjacent to the central portion of said face, a lateralcam face at each end of said main face, each said lateral cam faceextending from said main face to a lateral cam projection of said block,said block having also corner portions to cooperate with saidprojections, a follower having a flat portion to cooperate with the camportions of said block and at times to bridge the spaces between itscorner portions and aforesaid projections, mounting means operativelyrelating said follower and cam block, and means to urge said followertowards said cam block.

11. A door positioning device including a cam member, a spring pressedfollower, and means to mount said cam member and follower in anoperative relation to each other, said follower having a strap metalportion which has a tongue struck out from one face thereof, and saidmounting means having a guide slot which receives said tongue with aworking fit.

12. In a structure of the kind described, means to yieldably arrest theswing of a door at a plurality of positions in the path in which it isswingable; said means comprising a multiple faced cam element turnablyconnected with a door, non-swingable means attachable to a threshold andhaving a reciprocatory follower to cooperate with the faces of said camelement, a guide rod carried by said last recited means and positionedto extend laterally away from a door opening into a door jamb when theparts are in their operative positions, and a spring upon said guide rodto act upon said follower.

MARTIN C. BERSTED.

